Physics — GCE O Level (580)

What this syllabus is

Physics 580 is the Cameroon GCE Board Ordinary Level physics syllabus. It is designed as a three-year course of about 204 hours, following introductory science and mathematics, and it is meant to be taught in the spirit of investigation — practically and experimentally based.

The syllabus blends three components: pure science for the enquiring mind (principles, procedures, concepts, cultural and historical aspects) which carries about 80% of the weighting, the applications of science and its interface with technology, and science concerned with social and economic issues. The remaining 20% is split between those last two in the ratio 3:1.

How the course is organised

The official document is divided into four sections — Mechanics, Heat, Electricity and Modern Physics — with numbered topics inside each. SABI groups the content into six strands so that related ideas and their experiments stay together.

• Strand 1 — Forces, Motion and Energy (Section A: topics 1.0, 2.0, 3.0)
• Strand 2 — Properties of Matter (Section A: topic 4.0)
• Strand 3 — Temperature and Heat (Section B: topic 5.0)
• Strand 4 — Waves, Light and Sound
• Strand 5 — Electricity and Magnetism (Section C: topic 6.0)
• Strand 6 — Modern Physics (Section D: topic 8.0)
• Cross-cutting — Practical work and school-based assessment

Strand 1 — Forces, Motion and Energy

The mechanics core. Almost every numerical question in Paper 2 draws on this strand, so it deserves the most practice.

• Forces: types of force, resultant forces, moments, conditions for static and dynamic equilibrium
• Motion: distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration and the equations of motion
• Newton''s laws, momentum and conservation of momentum
• Work, energy, power and machines; energy conversions and efficiency
• Experiments: measurement of g by a direct method; verification of conservation of momentum; investigation of the laws of equilibrium for coplanar forces

Strand 2 — Properties of Matter

Topic 4.0 looks at how materials behave under force and inside fluids.

• Density, relative density and their measurement
• Pressure in solids, liquids and gases; atmospheric pressure
• Hooke''s law: state the law and describe situations in which it applies
• Elasticity, surface tension and capillarity; molecular explanation of the states of matter

Strand 3 — Temperature and Heat

Section B of the syllabus. The calculations are short but the definitions are examined precisely.

• Temperature: thermometers, Celsius and Kelvin scales, converting between them
• Heat capacity and specific heat capacity; calculations using Q = mc(delta theta)
• Latent heat, change of state, evaporation and boiling
• Expansion of solids, liquids and gases; the gas laws
• Heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation; devices that convert radiant energy into other forms
• Experiments: calibration of a thermometer against a laboratory mercury thermometer; measurement of specific heat capacity of water or a metal by a mechanical or electrical method

Strand 4 — Waves, Light and Sound

Wave behaviour and geometrical optics. Diagrams here earn marks — draw rays with arrows and label the normal.

• Wave motion: wavelength, frequency, period, amplitude and wave speed; transverse and longitudinal waves
• Sound: production, transmission, reflection and the fundamental frequency of a stretched string
• Reflection at plane and curved mirrors; real and virtual images
• Refraction and Snell''s law; refractive index as sin i / sin r, as c/v and as real depth over apparent depth
• Lenses, the human eye and simple optical instruments; dispersion and colour
• Experiments: verification of Snell''s law of refraction; variation of the fundamental frequency of a stretched string with length

Strand 5 — Electricity and Magnetism

Section C, topic 6.0. Expect both circuit calculations and a characteristics graph question.

• Charge, current, potential difference, resistance and Ohm''s law
• Series and parallel circuits; electrical energy, power and cost
• Current-voltage characteristics of a metallic conductor, a filament bulb, copper sulphate solution with copper electrodes and a semiconductor diode
• Magnets, magnetic fields, the magnetic effect of a current and the motor effect
• Electromagnetic induction, generators and transformers; domestic wiring and electrical safety

Strand 6 — Modern Physics

Section D, topic 8.0. It is a small strand with predictable questions — secure marks here are cheap.

• Structure of the atom; atomic number, mass number and isotopes
• Radioactivity: alpha, beta and gamma radiation, their properties and detection
• Half-life and simple decay calculations; nuclear equations
• Uses and hazards of radioactivity; safety precautions
• Introduction to electronics and the photoelectric idea

Cross-cutting — Practical work and school-based assessment

The syllabus expects candidates to be involved in practical work supported by demonstrations, with schools making some of their own equipment and candidates carrying out school-based projects. Each strand above lists its named experiments; keep a practical notebook from the first term.

How you are examined

Assessment objectives are weighted Knowledge 30%, Comprehension 40% and Higher Abilities 30% (20% application and 10% analysis). All material in the syllabus is examinable.

Paper 1 — multiple choice, 40%, 50 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes: 15 knowledge, 20 comprehension and 15 higher abilities (10 application, 5 analysis).

Paper 2 — essay, 50%: Section 1 is 6 compulsory short questions worth 40 marks in 1 hour; Section 2 is 3 pairs of alternative questions worth 60 marks in 1 hour 30 minutes.

Paper 3 — school-based assessment, 10%: a project based on two or more topics provided each year by the GCE Board, assessed through the project manual with internal and external evaluation weighted equally.

You also need the listed mathematical skills: standard notation, direct and inverse proportion, indices, charts and graphs with suitable scales, the relationship between length, area and volume, solving y = mx + c, the trigonometric functions, Pythagoras'' theorem and confident calculator use.

How to study this syllabus

Work strand by strand and attach each named experiment to the theory it tests — the syllabus was written to be learned that way.

Comprehension carries the largest single weighting, so practise explaining phenomena and reading data from graphs and tables, not only recalling definitions.

Start the school-based project early. It is 10% of your final grade and it is the easiest part of the syllabus to lose marks on by leaving it late.

Source and status

This overview follows the official Ordinary Level Physics syllabus, code 580, published by the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board.

Aims, assessment objectives, examination structure, topics and listed experiments are taken from that document. The strand grouping is SABI''s study structure, added to make the syllabus easier to learn from.